Sunday, May 16, 2010

From Bryce Back To Zion (May 12)

On the Wednesday morning, I was up bright and early to drive the Bryce Canyon scenic route before heading back to Zion. I wasn't up bright and early to see the sunshine but early enough to beat most of the other tourists along this route. It was 18 miles one way and I stopped at all the pullouts along the way gradually working my way in elevation to Rainbow Point which was as far as you could go.

It was very scenic and they say on a clear day you could see all the way to New Mexico.

I was scenery watching and this little fellow was people watching!

I completed the route and then made my way to the highway to head south to Zion. The further south I went, the higher the temperature got and by the time I reached Zion, it was sweltering. It was only noon, so I had a quick bite to eat, changed into summer cloths, packed my pack, hopped the shuttle and aimed for the park with a few smaller hikes in mind.

WEEPING ROCK

This was a lush gorgeous area and very refreshing. I followed the bridge over a creek that led to the Weeping Rock. It was a short walk of about 10 minutes.

I stood under the lip of the ridge to gaze out at the scenery and watch the water drip over the edge. My camera isn't fancy enough to get fab shots of this but I can share the colorful wall with you.

There are even rock benches to sit on and just relax and enjoy!

I rode the shuttle and got of at a couple of stops just to have a look around before heading on to my final hike for the day which started at the Visitor Center.

THE WATCHMAN TRAIL

This is about a 6km round trip and they suggest a nice evening hike. Late afternoon would be fine for me to do this. The trail started a short walk from the Zion Visitor Center which is at the entrance to the Park.

I would highly recommend this hike for the variety of trail conditions and scenery. The flowers were in full bloom and colorful.

The trail led you high above Springdale where you had views of the little town and far off in the distance. With only 100 meters of elevation, that was all it took to get views like this.

This was a really long day and time for me to call it a day. That is after dinner and a beer and time on my patio. Tomorrow is a big day and my last day of hiking so I need a good night sleep.